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be quiet! Light Loop 360 vs Noctua NH-U9S: Comparison
be quiet! Light Loop 360 vs Noctua NH-U9S fan count compared
The gap that matters here is fan count: be quiet! Light Loop 360 3 against Noctua NH-U9S 1, which puts be quiet! Light Loop 360 67% ahead. Noctua NH-U9S also leads on warranty, 3 years on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 versus 6 years on the Noctua NH-U9S. Add airflow to that, 61.8 CFM on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 versus 46.44 CFM on the Noctua NH-U9S, and the pattern holds.
be quiet! Light Loop 360 vs Noctua NH-U9S: which one fits your build
The be quiet! Light Loop 360 suits High-TDP flagship CPUs needing 360mm cooling and RGB-themed cases with front or top radiator mounts, though it is not the pick for silence-first builds (see Pure Loop 2 instead) and cases limited to 240mm radiator space. It is equally the pick for showcase builds wanting be quiet! build quality. Buy the Noctua NH-U9S for mainstream, non-overclocked builds where 130W of headroom is genuinely enough and buyers who value quiet, low-vibration operation over maximum thermal ceiling. It also earns its place with mATX builders who want reliable Noctua cooling without a full-size footprint. It is not the one for overclocked or high-TDP flagship CPUs, where the thermal ceiling runs out quickly. Our rating of the be quiet! Light Loop 360 (8/10): be quiet!'s cooling quality with a genuine RGB showcase, a strong pick for builders who want both. Our rating of the Noctua NH-U9S (8/10): A sensible, well-built compact cooler for mATX builds that don't need flagship-level thermal headroom.
Frequently asked questions
Do the be quiet! Light Loop 360 and Noctua NH-U9S differ on noise level?
Yes. Noise Level reads 36.8 dBA on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 versus 22.8 dBA on the Noctua NH-U9S.
Is the PWM Control the same on the be quiet! Light Loop 360 and Noctua NH-U9S?
It is. Both are listed at Yes, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- be quiet!
- Noctua NH-U9S
- Noctua
Cooler Type
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- AIO Liquid
- Noctua NH-U9S
- Air Tower
Series
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- Noctua NH-U9S
- Noctua NH-U9S
Model Number
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- BW022
- Noctua NH-U9S
- NH-U9S
Socket Compatibility
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1851/1700/1200/115X
- Noctua NH-U9S
- AMD AM5/AM4, Intel LGA1954/1851/1700/1200/115X
Tower Layout
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- Not Applicable
- Noctua NH-U9S
- Single-Tower
Fan Count
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 3Best
- Noctua NH-U9S
- 1-67%
Noise Level
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 36.8 dBA
- Noctua NH-U9S
- 22.8 dBABest
RGB Lighting
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- Yes
- Noctua NH-U9S
- No
Cooler Weight
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 1480 g
- Noctua NH-U9S
- 618 gBest
Fan Size
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 120 mm
- Noctua NH-U9S
- 92 mm
Max Speed
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 2100 RPMBest
- Noctua NH-U9S
- 2000 RPM-5%
Airflow
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 61.8 CFMBest
- Noctua NH-U9S
- 46.44 CFM-25%
Static Pressure
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 2.51 mmH2O
- Noctua NH-U9S
- 2.28 mmH2O-9%
PWM Control
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- Yes
- Noctua NH-U9S
- Yes
Lighting
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- ARGB
- Noctua NH-U9S
- None
Warranty
- be quiet! Light Loop 360
- 3 years-50%
- Noctua NH-U9S
- 6 yearsBest
Which one should you pick?
Choose be quiet! Light Loop 360 if you want the higher fan count (3 vs 1), the higher max speed (2100 RPM vs 2000 RPM) and the higher airflow (61.8 CFM vs 46.44 CFM).
Choose Noctua NH-U9S if you want the lower noise level (22.8 dBA vs 36.8 dBA) and the higher warranty (6 years vs 3 years).
Price comparison
| Retailer | be quiet! Light Loop 360 | Noctua NH-U9S |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
| Newegg | View on Newegg |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
be quiet! Light Loop 360
8 / 10 Expert Rating
be quiet!'s cooling quality with a genuine RGB showcase, a strong pick for builders who want both.
Noctua NH-U9S
8 / 10 Expert Rating
A sensible, well-built compact cooler for mATX builds that don't need flagship-level thermal headroom.